Gwevin For Eternity: The Droom Vernietiger, Pt 1
by Gwevin for Eternity
Summary: Hey there. So, Story Number Two in my Gwevin For Eternity: Kiss me series. Kevin gets infected by a dream destroyer named The Droom Vernietiger (actually an ancient African legend). Gwen is worried and searches for a cure.


It had been two weeks since Gwen kissed Kevin. He was still so confused and had so many questions, but he knew that some things were better left _un_questioned, and guessed that this was one of them. He had told Ben, who seemed even more baffled than him, he had even told his mom, who had smiled, laughed and told him to take things slow. That's what everyone had told him to do – "Take it slow, Kev" and "Don't rush into it, will you, mate" but he felt that it was Gwen who was rushing into things – they'd only known each other for almost two months (not counting when they were little) and yet Gwen had already kissed him on the cheek. He wasn't complaining, though. Seriously, he wasn't.

Kevin felt himself thinking about this as he drifted off to sleep on Ben's sofa. He dreamt about it for a while too, and then his brain got bored of reality and started a new dream.

He was sitting on a train platform. He looked around, confused. Sumo Slammer Trading Cards… his old skull necklace… a purple duvet… Kevin caught sight of himself in the reflection of a train window. He was young! Eleven! Not a mutant, but just a plain, skinny, human eleven year old! And this was his old home, where he slept! Suddenly, the doors of the train flung open. Gwen – ten year old Gwen – jumped off the train, her hands glowing with mana. "Gwen!" Kevin called, but Gwen lunged at him, shooting him with her all. Kevin felt himself getting taller and growing larger, stranger, and before he knew it he was a mutant, of Ben's old Omnitrix. He was suddenly shooting at Gwen… he couldn't stop himself, even though he hated what he was doing. Gwen was fighting back, but getting weaker and weaker as Kevin thumped her. He was sobbing; he didn't want to hurt her… "Gwen! GWEN!" She was gone, fallen on the floor, powerless.

Kevin sat up, screaming, beads of sweat pouring down his forehead. He was in Ben's living room, on his sofa. It was a dream, all just a dream. But it was still so vivid… he closed his eyes and saw Gwen, ten year old Gwen, as he had done in his dream. She was helpless, limp and broken, and Kevin had made her like that… Kevin screamed again, and when he opened his eyes, there was Gwen – the _real _Gwen – running to him, with Ben close behind. "Kevin! Kevin, what is it?!" Gwen fell to her knees beside him.  
"I – It … I had a terrible nightmare… oh, Gwen!" Kevin spluttered, and much to everyone's surprise, he burst into tears. The haunting thought wouldn't leave him… what if he ever hurt Gwen in real life?

"Kevin! Kevin, shh, shh." Gwen soothed him. She turned to Ben. "Get some help. Call Grandpa Max, his mom, whoever." Ben nodded and ran off to use the phone. Gwen stoked Kevin's head slowly, which made him cry harder. Why had he dreamt of this, he thought? This was not what he wanted… in fact, it was the very opposite! "Kevin? Kevin, can you tell me what you dreamt of? I need to find out what's causing it," Gwen said softly.

"I – I was dreaming… I was young and then I was a mutant and you were ten and I was hurting _you_…" Kevin's voice tailed away into even more heartbroken sobs. "And I don't know why because I don't want to hurt you, Gwen, and you _gotta _believe me…"

"Hey, shh now. It's okay, I believe you." Gwen squeezed up on the sofa next to Kevin as he lay down again. She nuzzled into him, gently shushing him, wiping his tears away as they now silently slipped down his cheeks. She knew something was wrong, very wrong. Kevin had never cried so heartbrokenly – in fact, she had never seen him cry at all. She held his hand and hoped that she was enough to help him, but he didn't stop crying until his mom came.

"Kevin! Kevin, darling!" his mom cried, running towards him and hugging him tight.

"I'm okay, mom," he lied bravely, wiping his eyes. "I just had a stupid nightmare."

"It wasn't stupid," a voice announced. Everyone whipped around for their eyes to meet with Max, standing in the doorway. "It wasn't stupid at all, Kevin. This is happening to one in twenty people in Bellwood. It's been an on-going case since last month, and I've been doing some research." Max sat down, and Ben sank down next to him. On the opposite sofa, Kevin was already sitting. He had his mom one side, her arm round him, and Gwen on the other side, holding his hand.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he kept muttering, but neither girls took any notice.

"So. I've been studying this problem. It's too vague to be Ghostfreak, and I can't pin anything else we've seen before on it… but there is one thing…" Max pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, and showed everyone. It was small and yellow, looking rather like a watt of energy under a telescope. "It's called the Droom Vernietiger. It means 'Dream Destroyer' and it does pretty much what it says on the tin. It twists dreams, destroys them, turns them into something dark, something cynical. Poor Kevin is only one of the many victims of the Droom Vernietiger... and no cure has yet been found. It... it will only get worse... I'm so sorry." Kevin let out a painful groan.

"Couldn't it just be a bad nightmare? Is it really this _thing_?" Ben asked.

"Not with the way Kevin reacted, I'm afraid," Max sighed.

"Why Kevin?" his mom wailed. She wasn't expecting an answer, but Max replied:

"The Droom Vernietiger picks on the most vunerable thoughts and dreams." Max stopped there, because he knew he needn't explain any more. Everyone seemed so shattered, so lost. Even his mom buried her face in Kevin's hair and sobbed. But Gwen stood up, her fists clenched.

"I'm going to go and look for a cure. And I won't stop until I have. Coming, Ben?" Ben stood up too, nodding determindly. "Grandpa?" Max got up and joined Gwen and Ben in the middle of the room. Everyone looked at Kevin's mom. "You know more than I do," she sighed, "but I guess I could make some cookies to keep your spirits high. And look look after Kevin, obviously."

"But mom –"

"No, Kevin. You need to stay home and rest," his mom said sternly. Kevin looked at Gwen for help, but she just smiled sadly. "You're mom's right, Kevin. You've got a literally evil infection growing inside you. I know you want to help, but you'll help yourself just by getting rest."

"But - "

"I'll come and visit you this afternoon, okay? Come on, cheer up, you've got your mom's cookies to look forward to," Defeated, Kevin rose, and his mom followed him to the door.

"Thank you," Kevin's mom whispered weakly, beforeshutting the door behind her and Kevin.

"Oh, God. Oh god oh god oh god," Gwen murmered, hot tears stinging her eyes.

"Come on. Find a cure now, stress about this later," Ben sighed.

"You're right, you're right. Okay, how are we going to go about this? I could look in some magic books?"

"Cool. Me and Grandpa could always ask around a bit, do some more research, that kind of thing,"

"That's great, kids. Keep each other updated by Plumber Badge. Here, Gwen, have mine," Max said, passing Gwen his badge.

"Thanks, Grandpa. I'll be at home with the magic books, okay?"

"Okay."

Minutes passed like hours. Gwen sat in her room, covered in magic books and gadgets and gizmos that didn't work. She was frustrated, near tears.

Ben and Max had travelled from planet to planet, searching for a cure or at least some information, but it all left them more confused than as they started out. They went to Gwen's, since she wasn't responding to her Plumber Badge calls. She was found asleep on the floor, surrounded by books, bits of paper and little gagety things.

"Oh, Gwen," Ben sighed, shaking her awake. "Gw-en?"

"What? Oh! Sorry… I must've fallen asleep… did you find anything?"

"No. You?"

"Not a sausage. What's the time?"

"Half past eight."

"Oh, no! I was supposed to meet Kevin!" Gwen jumped up, slid her shoes and jacket on and raced downstairs. "ByemomI'mgoingtoKevin's," she gabbled, and raced out of the door.

Meanwhile, Kevin was at his house, moaning in agony. Not because of the Droom Vernietiger, but because he'd been waiting for Gwen since six o'clock and now, two and a half hours on, she still hadn't shown her face. Gwen coming to see him was the only reason he hadn't thrown himself off a balcony yet, though maybe she'd just forgotten? But it wasn't like Gwen to forget, and especially under the circumstances… just as he was thinking of this, Gwen ran into the room.

"Oh Kevin, I'm so sorry! I was working so hard trying to find a cure - I swear I was - and then I just kind of fell asleep and I'm soooooo sorry, I - "

"Hey, hey, don't sweat it, it's alright. Did you… did you find anything?"

"No, and nor did Grandpa and Ben, but we won't stop looking. Oh Kevin, are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just stressing about what Mr Droomsday has to throw at me tonight."

"Oh, Kevin," Tears spurted out of Gwen's eyes again as she sat next to him on his bed. "I swear I'm doing everything I can for you."

"I know you are. And I know that because I'd do the same for you." Kevin smiled at Gwen. She couldn't stop these bad dreams that would keep on coming - yet - but she could take the edge off the pain. And slowly, he realized that nobody else could do that - not even his mom, though she tried her hardest. This was an affect only Gwen could put on him. He slid his hand into hers and held it tight, as if he could never let go.


End file.
